Mr. Dogma (Difford's Guide Recipe)

 

Mr. Dogma is a long drink that has dispirit parts that seemingly wouldn't work well together. Orange and lemon juice with a bitter liqueur, rich dark rum and sweet vermouth. It seems that the gamble pays off when you mix up this drink and put it under a spiral slice of lemon and a flower. 

The result is a strange experience, like a tiki drink crossed with some classic cocktail from the early 1900s. The flavor swings from citrus to bitterness to sweetness and spice. Some of the flavors are almost floral because of the herbal infusion, which the flower hints at. But this bodacious drink lasts a while and is perfect for slow sipping. 

A quick note: a rich sweet vermouth like Cocchi is a good call here. You don't want to taste wine, you want herbs. Also, my Amer Picon is a special recipe involving Rammazzotti, Combier and orange bitters that I made with MurLarkey Justice white whiskey. 

• 1 2/3 oz. aged dark rum (George Bowman used)
• 1/3 oz. aged sweet vermouth (Cocchi di Torino used)
• 1/3 oz. Amer Picon (homemade used)
• 1/3 oz. grenadine
• 2/3 oz. orange juice
• 1/3 oz. lemon juice
• spiral cut lemon wheel
• flower garnish

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Pour into a Collins glass and garnish with lemon and flower.

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Chocolate Soldier

This cocktail has an enigmatic name until you realize that Chocolate Soldier is a breed of peony that has this exact color. The color comes from Dubonnet Rouge, a rich--and appropriately chocolatey--fortified wine from France.

The other ingredient, besides lime juice, is gin. For this post I decided to show off my homemade bathtub gin. My first batch of the stuff was questionable: oversteeped and bitey, it had all the tannin and none of the freshness of a proper gin. I'm happy to say that this latest batch came out remarkably well.

• 1 1/2 oz. gin (homemade used)
• 1 oz. Dubonnet Rouge
• 1/2 oz. lime juice

 Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.